Automatically-releasing valve-locking mechanism



No. 620,68l. Patented Mar. 7, I899. 0. T. STANTIAL.

AUTOMATICALLY RELEASING VALVE LOCKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Apr. 14, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I;

(No Model.)

No. 620,68l. Patented Mar. 7, i899.

o. T. STANTIAL.

AUTOMATICALLY RELEASING VALVE LOCKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Apr. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- OTIS T. STANTIAL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATlCALLY-RELEASING VALVE LOCKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,681, dated March 7, 1899.

Application filed April 14, 1898.

the water-main, hereinafter termed the water-valve, which shall operate to hold the valve against accidental displacement and shall be capable of automatic release at the moment of emergency to allow the valve to be moved to admit water to the dry pipe.

Generally stated, the invention comprises an' improved lock for the water-valve and means connected with an air-controlled valve and dependent upon the varying air-pressure for its action for unlocking the water-valve in advance of the action of positive means for moving said valve itself.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a section of pipe corresponding to the junction of the dry pipe with the water-main and equipped with valve and with looking and releasing means embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the air-controlled-valve chamber; Fig. 3, a view in elevation and partially sectional of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken at line 3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4., a detached view of the weight and guide thereof employed to release the lock and operate the water-valve; Fig. 5, a sectional view of the water-valve chamber, showing said valve in position separating the water in the waterpipe from the compressed air in the dry pipe; itlld Fig. 6, a detail of a portion of the valveock.

A is a water-pipe connecting with a waterniain or other suitable source of water'sup- P y- B is a dry pipe containing air under pressure and communicating with the sprinklerheads. The two pipes are in alinement and communicate with each other through a valve- Serial No. 677,564. (No model.)

chamber 0, supplied with a hand-hole cover 0. The valve-chamber is further supplied with two outwardly converging valve-seats t and if, guarded by two looselyconnected valves .9 and s, placed back to back and provided on. adjacent surfaces with cylindrical surfaces. (Shown in cross-section at 'r r in Fig. 5.) Between said valves is an arrow head or double wedge r comprising two inclined planes placed back to back. The arrow-head is carried on a stem r moving in a guide r on the interior of the extension 0 of the valve-chamber, which receives the withdrawn valve. A buffer 0*", of rubber or the like, set into the inner face of a cap-piece r on the extension Oiserves to deaden the shock of striking when the arrow is forcibly withdrawn. The arrow-head by its single-line contact with each valve forces the valves tightly to their seats when the wedge is forced in. When the arrow is withdrawn, the valves are first loosened, and then the valves are drawn outward on suitable guides (not shown) by means of the arrow-head engaging inturned flanges r at the rear portions of the valves. No novelty is claimed for the valve, and therefore it is not illustrated more fully.

The arrow is withdrawn by means of a rockarm D, provided with a bifurcated head engaging a pin 10 on the shank or shaft of the arrow. The rock-arm D is carried bya rockshaft D, which projects through the casing O and carries at its outer end an operatingarm D The free end of the arm D is pivotally joined to the lower end of an upwardprojecting reciprocable sleeve E, in which is socketed a guide-rod E, the upper end of which fits loosely into a guide-sleeve E The sleeve E is secured to a shelf F, rigid with the pipe B and serving as a top for a casing, (not shown,) whichmay be caused to inclose the movable parts of the device. A similar plate F, slotted to receive the sleeve E serves to receive the lower end of the casing.

Beneath the shelf F is secured a valvechamber G, Figs. 1 and 2, comprising a chamber G, communicating with the dry pipe B by means of a pipe H, and a chamber G communicating with the chamber G through an opening guarded by a valve 1, opening away from the chamber G The valve Iis provided with a shank n, working in a guide n on the interior of a hand-hole cover 02 with which the chamber G is provided. On its opposite side the valve is provided with a threaded post 02 having a reduced portion which works within the slot of thebifurcated head m of a rock-arm m, carried bya rock-shaft m The shaft m projects through the valve-casing G and carries at its outer end a hooked arm m and an arm m, carrying an adjustable counterweight m The hooked arm m' engages the flanged sleeve Z of a trip-hammer J. The counterweight m and the air-pressure in the chamber G act together to force the air-valve 1 against its seat and to support the trip-hammer J. Upon a reduction of the air-pressure against said valve the weight of the trip-hammer overcomes the counterweight m and drops upon the sleeve E to force the watervalve open. The valve-chambers are supplied with drain-pipes K K, by means of which the water is drawn off when the valves are reset after having been once used.

In Fig. 3 is shown the preferred construction of my improved lock for the water-valve and the manner of applying it to render it capable of automatic release. To the plate F is fixed a block L, to which is pivoted the lower end of a standard L, supplied at its top with a lock-piece L adjustable in height by means of a set-screw h, Fig. 6,working through the top of the block and against the'top of the standard. The lock-piece L is provided with an inclined face is and an abrupt shoulder k The shoulder k engages the under face of a flange E with which the upper end of the sleeve E is provided, and the inclined surface projects into the path of the descending weight .I. The block L is supplied with a stop h, which limits the backward movement of the standard L, and beneath the flange E is a circlet of rubber or leather h to prevent too great shock at the instant of impact with the plate F.

The operation is as follows: The dry pipe B is charged through a pipe M with air under a pressure of from five to twenty-five pounds per square inch. The trip-hammer J is raised to its elevated position and held there by the hooked arm m under the combined action of the counterweight m and the air-pressure on the valve I. The double-seating valve .9 s is set in the position shown in Fig. 5, which corresponds to the elevated position of the sleeve E. In this position the sleeve is locked by engaging the shoulder k of the lock-piece L with the flange E of the sleeve and turning down the set-screw k to take up any looseness existing at the connections. Thus the water-valve is held through the medium of the arrow, rock-arms, rock-shaft, and sleeve against accidental slipping, to which it is peculiarly liable by reason of the fact that the surfaces exposed to water and air pressure are inclined surfaces. Water is now admitted to the pipe A from the water-main and the device is ready for use. The pipe B leads to the usual drypipe system equipped with sprinkler-heads having valves adapted to be released by the heat of a fire. Upon a reduction in pressure in the pipe B, consequent on the opening of communication with the atmosphere through the sprinkler-head, the valve I moves from its seat, rotating the arm 'm and permitting the trip-hammer to fall. In the course of its descent the trip-hammer first engages the inclined surface 7; of the lock-piece L and unlocks the sleeve E. The sleeve is then forced down by the weight J and in turn, through the medium of the arm D shaft D, bifurcated arm D, and arrow,

forcibly withdraws the water-valve, thus affording a direct and unobstructed course for the water through the chamber 0 into the pipe B. 7

Changes in the construction of the locking device may be made without departure from my invention, and I therefore wish to be understood as intending no limitation by the above particular description except as shall appear from the appended claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- is

1. In a dry-pipe fire-sprinkler system, the combination of a water-pipe, a dry pipe, a valve controlling the communication between said pipes, actuating means for said valve, an automatically-released weight for moving said actuating means, and a safety locking device comprising a pivoted standard having a shoulder engaging said actuating means to prevent accidental displacement of the valve and provided with a cam-surface which is engaged by said weight in its descent, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a water-pipe, a valve-chamber communicating therewith, a sliding valve in said chamber, a wedge-shaped device supplied with an operating-shank and connected with the valve and serving as a tightening means when the valve is closed and to withdraw the valve after it is loosened in the initial movement of the wedge, a rockarm within the chamber carried by a rockshaft projecting through the chamber-wall, pin-and-slot connection between said shank and rock-arm, an operating-arm on the outer end of the rock-shaft, an upturned link pivotally joined to the free end of said arm and provided with a flange at its upper end, a triphammer suspended above sleeve, a pivoted standard supplied with a shoulder engaging the under surface of said flange and provided with an inclined surface projecting into the path of the hammer, a dry pipe communicating with said valve-chamber,an air-controlled valve in a chamber communicating with said dry pipe, and means connected with said aircontrolled valve and hammer whereby the latter is tripped by the movement of the said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fire-sprinkler system, the combination of a water-pipe, a dry pipe, a doubleseating sliding valve separating said pipes and comprising two loosely-connected members, a double wedge separating the two valve members provided with an operating-shank, a pin on said shank, a bifurcated rock-arm engaging said pin and carried by a rock-shaft projecting through the valve-chamber wall, an operating-arm on the outer end of said shaft, an upturned link pivotally joined to the free end of said operating-arm and provided with a flange, a lock device comprising a pivoted standard provided with a flangeengaging shoulder k and an overhanginginclined surface It, a trip-hammer suspended above said link, an air-controlled valve in a chamber communicating with said dry pipe, and means connecting the air-valve with said hammer, whereby the hammer is tripped by the movement of the valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a fire-sprinkler system, the combination with a water-pipe, dry pipe, sliding valve separating said pipes, an air-controlled valve in a chamber communicating with said dry pipe, a trip-hammer connected with said aircontrolled valve, operating mechanism for the sliding valve projecting into the path of said hammer, andan automatically-releasing locking device for said operating mechanism, comprising a stationary base-block L supplied with a stop h, a standard pivoted thereto,

a lock-piece L supplied with means for engaging the operating mechanism of said sliding valve and with an overhanging inclined surface is in the path of said trip-hammer, whereby the lock is released preparatory to the movement of the sliding valve and means for raising the lock-piece with relation to its standard to take up the looseness of the joints, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a Water-pipe, a valve-chamber communicating therewith, a sliding valve in said chamber, a wedge-shaped device supplied with an operating-shank and connected with the valve serving to tighten the valve when forced in and to withdraw the valve when retracted, of a rock-shaft D, opcrating-arm D rigid with said rock-shaft, pinand-slot connection between the arm D and said operating-shank, actuating means for the valve connected with the rock-shaft D, an automatically-releasing safety-lock engaging said actuating means, and means dependent for action on a variation of the air-pressure in said dry pipe for releasing said safetylock and moving said valve-actuating means, substantially as and for the purpose set forth,

OTIS T. STANTIAL." In presence of DAN. W. LEE, R. T. SPENCER. 

